Israel Mireles guilty in murder of Emily Sander (Zoey Zane)

On Friday, a Butler County jury convicted Israel Mireles for the murder of Emily Sander.

Sander, an 18-year-old Butler Community College student, was also known as Internet porn model Zoey Zane. Her November 2007 slaying made national headlines, and Plog followed testimony in last week’s trial.

The jury also found Mireles guilty of one count rape and one count aggravated criminal sodomy. Kansas Attorney General Steve Six announced the verdict in a statement on Friday:

Mireles brutally murdered Sander in his motel room in November 2007 after an evening of drinking at a local bar. He then dumped her body 50 miles away and disposed of other evidence at the home of his girlfriend’s family in Baxter Springs. Mireles then fled to Mexico with his girlfriend. He was extradited by Mexican authorities back to Kansas to stand trial. As a result of the extradition treaty with Mexico, the state could not seek the death penalty in this case. Mireles will face a sentence of life in prison without the chance of parole for 50 years.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 31.